Erin Smith
Astoria, NY, United States
Erin Smith was diagnosed with celiac disease in the early 1980s, so she’s been eating gluten-free almost her entire life. Erin has a unique perspective of growing up in the gluten-free community and blogs about living — and enjoying — a gluten-free lifestyle.
Erin Smith has been writing her gluten-free lifestyle blog Gluten-Free Fun since 2007. In 2011, she launched Gluten-Free Globetrotter, a website that encourages those with celiac disease to travel the world and not be scared about eating gluten-free domestically and abroad. Erin is also the lead organizer of the NYC Celiac Disease Meetup group, a social community that has grown to over 1850 members in the 8 years she has been organizing the group.
http://glutenfreefun.blogspot.com
http://glutenfreeglobetrotter.comSee my complete profile

Today is Celiac Awareness Day. We recognize Celiac Disease today, and not in Celiac Awareness Month which is in may, because according to the NFCA "the 13th is the birthday of Samuel Gee, a pediatrician who published the first complete clinical description of celiac disease in 1888. Gee was the first to recognize that the symptoms of celiac disease are related to diet."

I have been living with Celiac Disease since 1981. Having Celiac Disease is an integral part of who I am today. It has lead me to this wonderful (and sometimes crazy) world of social media. It has introduced me to amazing friends and a wonderful support network. It has encouraged me to spread awareness and hope to the newly diagnosed. It has also inspired me to overcome my limitations and to travel the world. Honestly, I have no clue what my life would be like without Celiac Disease since it is so much a part of me.

Celiac Disease has made me the person, advocate, blogger,

and support group leader that I am today.

It may sound strange, but for that I am thankful. There are so many things I would never have done if I didn't have Celiac Disease and one of those things is write this blog. While I might have had challenges over the years, I honestly cannot imagine my life any other way.